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Washburn Center for Children provides strategies on managing anxiety, depression, and digital dependency in local youth By Juliana Allen Photo by RDNE stock project/pexels.com Families can support their children’s well-being through open communication, strong support systems and modeling healthy behavior – especially around screen time – say mental health experts who recently spoke with Eden Prairie families. Jessica Mathwig-Olson and Libby Haight from the Washburn Center for Children shared practical advice and strategies with families during evening teacher conferences at Eden Prairie High School on Feb. 27. The event was sponsored by the EPHS Parent-Teacher Organization. Parents and guardians were also encouraged to pursue mental health first aid training, learn about Cope, Hennepin County’s mobile crisis response service, and ensure that their teenage children have access to the 988 Lifeline text number as a key resource during mental health crises. Washburn is a nonprofit organization that serves children and families in the Greater Twin Cities area, specializing in mental health care and addressing a variety of needs for children ages birth to 18. Washburn and Eden Prairie Schools have had a close working relationship for 18 years, with Washburn therapists embedded in each school site to provide consistent mental health services. EPHS counselors Jadyn Biermaier, Jenny Hanson and Lisa Quiring, and EPHS social worker Emily Pulford also attended the event to discuss their roles and how the high school works to support student well-being. They explained that EPHS uses multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) to identify and assist high-needs students. While school counselors and social workers can provide brief, short-term mental health support, they refer students who require more intensive services to Washburn and other mental health providers. The event was held in the EPHS auditorium during the Feb. 27 teacher conferences. Photo by Juliana Allen Post-pandemic spike in mental health conditions spurs increased need for services Mathwig-Olson, the director of school-based services at Washburn and a licensed clinical social worker, said one in five U.S. children are affected by mental health conditions across all races, economic backgrounds, and gender identities. She said that post-pandemic, mental health experts have seen historically high rates of need for children’s mental health professionals and interventions, prompting high demand for support services. “Specifically, I’m seeing high rates of anxiety and depression, decline in social skills and increased isolation with our youth today,” Mathwig-Olson said, along with “a rise in behavioral concerns, grief and loss issues, increase screen time usage, and digital dependency.” Advertisement Photo by Kindel Media/pexels.com She said one of the best things parents can do is have open and honest communication with their children about mental health. She stressed it’s also important to model healthy behavior (including limiting digital dependency on phones and other devices), prioritize their own mental health, and normalize seeking help. She said these high rates of widespread mental health challenges have also highlighted opportunities to increase awareness. Because of the demand for services, positive changes in school responses, such as building curriculum, staffing mental health therapists, and offering peer support groups, have become increasingly common. Identifying issues, supporting children Photo by Cottonbro Studios/pexels.com Haight, the director of community-based programs at Washburn focusing on mental health crisis services, said that when thinking about mental health, it is important to pay attention to both verbal and nonverbal cues that might indicate a child is struggling. These could include talking less than usual, sleeping or eating more or less, going through major changes in friendships and relationships, and struggling at school when they may not have previously. However, she cautioned that there is a difference between developmentally appropriate adolescent behavior and behaviors that might indicate a need for mental health support. For instance, increased moodiness, body image issues, parent-adolescent conflict, and experimentation with substances can be normal adolescent behavior. Photo by Kindel Media/pexels.com Haight said significant decreases in functioning, such as extreme mood swings, self-harm, and inability to function in daily life, are not normal. “These are the kind of things that we would start to want to explore further what’s going on,” she said. Helping someone who appears to be struggling can begin by noticing their behaviors, listening to what they say, asking about it, and reassuring them regularly that you’re there for them without judgment. Engaging in open conversations with children about their mental health, using “I” statements and listening more than speaking, can be helpful. Additionally, as parents, Haight said, “One of the most important things we can do is have open and honest conversations about mental health, and that includes being willing to talk about suicide.” Photo by Cottonbro Studios/pexels.com While acknowledging that talking about suicide can feel scary because parents fear it might give their kids ideas, Haight said that by the time kids are in high school, they already know about suicide. “What we want is to make sure that some of that information is coming from you,” she said. “There is no more important factor in helping prevent teen suicide than having supportive adults available and around to be understanding, to be a listening ear, to validate what people are going through, and to be able to be alongside those people as they’re suffering through their crisis,” she said. Seeking external help and resources can be key Photo by Annushka Ahhuja/pexels.com Haight said that while parents are probably the most important source of support for kids who are struggling, parents don’t need to face it alone. She encouraged families to ask their “village” for help, including schools, coaches, neighbors, and other trusted individuals. Mental health providers, including Washburn, can also help with therapy and other services. Washburn also helps teens ages 14 to 17 through its Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) program, where, over a six-month period, a series of coping skills is taught through both group and individual therapy. Haight also suggested that everyone pursue mental health first aid training to build skills for having conversations about mental health and to learn how to support children in crisis. Washburn offers this training, with registration for spring sessions available now available on its website. #James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy Link for 40 Habits Signupbit.ly/40HabitsofMentalHealth If you'd like to follow and receive my daily blog in to your inbox, just click on it with Follow It. Here's the link https://follow.it/james-donaldson-s-standing-above-the-crowd-s-blog-a-view-from-above-on-things-that-make-the-world-go-round?action=followPub COPE is Hennepin County’s mobile crisis unit. Photo by Hennepin County Another important local crisis response resource open to the public is Cope, the Hennepin County mobile crisis unit. Cope can come to the home during a crisis, help assess and deescalate the situation, and also recommend further health services if needed, including a trip to the hospital. Haight also recommended that everyone, especially teens, should know about 988 Lifeline, a free and confidential national suicide and crisis hotline that can be called or texted at 988. Counselors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to talk about mental health struggles, emotional distress, alcohol or drug use concerns, or if a person just needs to talk to someone. A recording of the full, one hour and 19 minute conversation with Washburn and EPHS staff, including the question and answer session with the audience, can be seen by watching the video, “Student Mental Health: What Parents Need to Know” on Eden Prairie High School’s YouTube channel. Read the full article

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Washburn Center for Children provides strategies on managing anxiety, depression, and digital dependency in local youth By Juliana Allen Photo by RDNE stock project/pexels.com Families can support their children’s well-being through open communication, strong support systems and modeling healthy behavior – especially around screen time – say mental health experts who recently spoke with Eden Prairie families. Jessica Mathwig-Olson and Libby Haight from the Washburn Center for Children shared practical advice and strategies with families during evening teacher conferences at Eden Prairie High School on Feb. 27. The event was sponsored by the EPHS Parent-Teacher Organization. Parents and guardians were also encouraged to pursue mental health first aid training, learn about Cope, Hennepin County’s mobile crisis response service, and ensure that their teenage children have access to the 988 Lifeline text number as a key resource during mental health crises. Washburn is a nonprofit organization that serves children and families in the Greater Twin Cities area, specializing in mental health care and addressing a variety of needs for children ages birth to 18. Washburn and Eden Prairie Schools have had a close working relationship for 18 years, with Washburn therapists embedded in each school site to provide consistent mental health services. EPHS counselors Jadyn Biermaier, Jenny Hanson and Lisa Quiring, and EPHS social worker Emily Pulford also attended the event to discuss their roles and how the high school works to support student well-being. They explained that EPHS uses multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) to identify and assist high-needs students. While school counselors and social workers can provide brief, short-term mental health support, they refer students who require more intensive services to Washburn and other mental health providers. The event was held in the EPHS auditorium during the Feb. 27 teacher conferences. Photo by Juliana Allen Post-pandemic spike in mental health conditions spurs increased need for services Mathwig-Olson, the director of school-based services at Washburn and a licensed clinical social worker, said one in five U.S. children are affected by mental health conditions across all races, economic backgrounds, and gender identities. She said that post-pandemic, mental health experts have seen historically high rates of need for children’s mental health professionals and interventions, prompting high demand for support services. “Specifically, I’m seeing high rates of anxiety and depression, decline in social skills and increased isolation with our youth today,” Mathwig-Olson said, along with “a rise in behavioral concerns, grief and loss issues, increase screen time usage, and digital dependency.” Advertisement Photo by Kindel Media/pexels.com She said one of the best things parents can do is have open and honest communication with their children about mental health. She stressed it’s also important to model healthy behavior (including limiting digital dependency on phones and other devices), prioritize their own mental health, and normalize seeking help. She said these high rates of widespread mental health challenges have also highlighted opportunities to increase awareness. Because of the demand for services, positive changes in school responses, such as building curriculum, staffing mental health therapists, and offering peer support groups, have become increasingly common. Identifying issues, supporting children Photo by Cottonbro Studios/pexels.com Haight, the director of community-based programs at Washburn focusing on mental health crisis services, said that when thinking about mental health, it is important to pay attention to both verbal and nonverbal cues that might indicate a child is struggling. These could include talking less than usual, sleeping or eating more or less, going through major changes in friendships and relationships, and struggling at school when they may not have previously. However, she cautioned that there is a difference between developmentally appropriate adolescent behavior and behaviors that might indicate a need for mental health support. For instance, increased moodiness, body image issues, parent-adolescent conflict, and experimentation with substances can be normal adolescent behavior. Photo by Kindel Media/pexels.com Haight said significant decreases in functioning, such as extreme mood swings, self-harm, and inability to function in daily life, are not normal. “These are the kind of things that we would start to want to explore further what’s going on,” she said. Helping someone who appears to be struggling can begin by noticing their behaviors, listening to what they say, asking about it, and reassuring them regularly that you’re there for them without judgment. Engaging in open conversations with children about their mental health, using “I” statements and listening more than speaking, can be helpful. Additionally, as parents, Haight said, “One of the most important things we can do is have open and honest conversations about mental health, and that includes being willing to talk about suicide.” Photo by Cottonbro Studios/pexels.com While acknowledging that talking about suicide can feel scary because parents fear it might give their kids ideas, Haight said that by the time kids are in high school, they already know about suicide. “What we want is to make sure that some of that information is coming from you,” she said. “There is no more important factor in helping prevent teen suicide than having supportive adults available and around to be understanding, to be a listening ear, to validate what people are going through, and to be able to be alongside those people as they’re suffering through their crisis,” she said. Seeking external help and resources can be key Photo by Annushka Ahhuja/pexels.com Haight said that while parents are probably the most important source of support for kids who are struggling, parents don’t need to face it alone. She encouraged families to ask their “village” for help, including schools, coaches, neighbors, and other trusted individuals. Mental health providers, including Washburn, can also help with therapy and other services. Washburn also helps teens ages 14 to 17 through its Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) program, where, over a six-month period, a series of coping skills is taught through both group and individual therapy. Haight also suggested that everyone pursue mental health first aid training to build skills for having conversations about mental health and to learn how to support children in crisis. Washburn offers this training, with registration for spring sessions available now available on its website. #James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy Link for 40 Habits Signupbit.ly/40HabitsofMentalHealth If you'd like to follow and receive my daily blog in to your inbox, just click on it with Follow It. Here's the link https://follow.it/james-donaldson-s-standing-above-the-crowd-s-blog-a-view-from-above-on-things-that-make-the-world-go-round?action=followPub COPE is Hennepin County’s mobile crisis unit. Photo by Hennepin County Another important local crisis response resource open to the public is Cope, the Hennepin County mobile crisis unit. Cope can come to the home during a crisis, help assess and deescalate the situation, and also recommend further health services if needed, including a trip to the hospital. Haight also recommended that everyone, especially teens, should know about 988 Lifeline, a free and confidential national suicide and crisis hotline that can be called or texted at 988. Counselors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to talk about mental health struggles, emotional distress, alcohol or drug use concerns, or if a person just needs to talk to someone. A recording of the full, one hour and 19 minute conversation with Washburn and EPHS staff, including the question and answer session with the audience, can be seen by watching the video, “Student Mental Health: What Parents Need to Know” on Eden Prairie High School’s YouTube channel. Read the full article

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New research from the Department of Psychology sheds light on the association between police officers’ psychological distress and how they view people with serious mental illnesses Photo by Daria Sannikova on Pexels.com By Anika Engel Anew study from researchers at the University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences indicates that boosting the mental health of police officers could help to decrease the number of incidents involving police aggression toward people with serious mental illnesses. “About a quarter of police fatalities involve a person who has serious mental illness, like schizophrenia,” said Amy Weisman de Mamani, the lead researcher and a professor in the Department of Psychology. “So, we really wanted to understand why these interactions go wrong.” Something that also caught Weisman de Mamani’s attention in the existing research is that as a group, police officers are psychologically distressed in part because they are exposed to trauma in their line of work. “In theory, when people are not well, they are less able to regulate their emotions, particularly in stressful moments. They are also more likely to displace that onto someone else,” she added. Working with a team of psychology Ph.D. students, including Salman Ahmad, Denise Chung-Zou, Merranda McLaughlin, Genesis Saenz Escalante, and Zachary Goodman, Weisman de Mamani found that police officers who experience psychological distress are more likely to stigmatize people with schizophrenia. This could potentially impact their behavior. “There are strong associations in the directions that we expected: the more distressed emotions officers felt or suicidal ideation or behavior they exhibited, the more likely they were to stigmatize people with serious mental illness,” said Weisman de Mamani. The team used a mixed methods approach of analyzing survey and qualitative data from 107 officers. They only recruited male officers because the majority of police officers are male and almost all violent incidents between civilians and police officers involve male officers. The survey consisted of scales measuring mental illness stigma, depression, anxiety, stress, suicidal behaviors, and social justice attitudes. #James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy Link for 40 Habits Signupbit.ly/40HabitsofMentalHealth If you'd like to follow and receive my daily blog in to your inbox, just click on it with Follow It. Here's the link https://follow.it/james-donaldson-s-standing-above-the-crowd-s-blog-a-view-from-above-on-things-that-make-the-world-go-round?action=followPub “Interestingly, when we looked at social justice attitudes, there was no main effect linking police officers’ social justice attitudes to their stigma toward people with schizophrenia,” Weisman de Mamani said. “However, we found that psychological distress and suicidal ideation both moderated the link between social justice attitudes and stigma. Specifically, when police officers’ distress and suicidal ideation were low, social justice attitudes were associated with lower stigma toward individuals with schizophrenia. However, when police officers’ distress and suicidal ideation were high, social justice attitudes were not associated with stigma. Thus, conscientious values like social justice mindedness may not protect officers against holding stigmatized views of those with mental illness if officers themselves are feeling mentally unwell.”   The findings have important societal implications, calling attention to the need to increase mental health support for police officers. This support, the findings suggest, could help to lower the number of police-induced deaths that involve people with serious mental illnesses. Increased mental health support could also improve or even save the lives of officers, who experience exceedingly high rates of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and attempted suicide, as well as death by suicide.  Engaging in this research project reinforced to Weisman de Mamani and her team that working as a police officer is an incredibly stressful job, and that many officers fear they will lose their jobs if they acknowledge that they are experiencing psychological distress. Weisman de Mamani believes that “giving officers the resources they need, including time off to recover from traumatic events and the assurance of confidentiality and job security if they seek mental health assistance, could make a real difference. If officers are not in the form to do their jobs with a clear mind, the constituents they serve are going to suffer. We need to create better access to evidence-based treatments for our officers.” In the long term, Weisman de Mamani hopes to build interventions that are tailored to police culture by involving experts such as retired police officers and police chiefs. Photo by Daria Sannikova on Pexels.com Read the full article

[tallmantall]

New research from the Department of Psychology sheds light on the association between police officers’ psychological distress and how they view people with serious mental illnesses Photo by Daria Sannikova on Pexels.com By Anika Engel Anew study from researchers at the University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences indicates that boosting the mental health of police officers could help to decrease the number of incidents involving police aggression toward people with serious mental illnesses. “About a quarter of police fatalities involve a person who has serious mental illness, like schizophrenia,” said Amy Weisman de Mamani, the lead researcher and a professor in the Department of Psychology. “So, we really wanted to understand why these interactions go wrong.” Something that also caught Weisman de Mamani’s attention in the existing research is that as a group, police officers are psychologically distressed in part because they are exposed to trauma in their line of work. “In theory, when people are not well, they are less able to regulate their emotions, particularly in stressful moments. They are also more likely to displace that onto someone else,” she added. Working with a team of psychology Ph.D. students, including Salman Ahmad, Denise Chung-Zou, Merranda McLaughlin, Genesis Saenz Escalante, and Zachary Goodman, Weisman de Mamani found that police officers who experience psychological distress are more likely to stigmatize people with schizophrenia. This could potentially impact their behavior. “There are strong associations in the directions that we expected: the more distressed emotions officers felt or suicidal ideation or behavior they exhibited, the more likely they were to stigmatize people with serious mental illness,” said Weisman de Mamani. The team used a mixed methods approach of analyzing survey and qualitative data from 107 officers. They only recruited male officers because the majority of police officers are male and almost all violent incidents between civilians and police officers involve male officers. The survey consisted of scales measuring mental illness stigma, depression, anxiety, stress, suicidal behaviors, and social justice attitudes. #James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy Link for 40 Habits Signupbit.ly/40HabitsofMentalHealth If you'd like to follow and receive my daily blog in to your inbox, just click on it with Follow It. Here's the link https://follow.it/james-donaldson-s-standing-above-the-crowd-s-blog-a-view-from-above-on-things-that-make-the-world-go-round?action=followPub “Interestingly, when we looked at social justice attitudes, there was no main effect linking police officers’ social justice attitudes to their stigma toward people with schizophrenia,” Weisman de Mamani said. “However, we found that psychological distress and suicidal ideation both moderated the link between social justice attitudes and stigma. Specifically, when police officers’ distress and suicidal ideation were low, social justice attitudes were associated with lower stigma toward individuals with schizophrenia. However, when police officers’ distress and suicidal ideation were high, social justice attitudes were not associated with stigma. Thus, conscientious values like social justice mindedness may not protect officers against holding stigmatized views of those with mental illness if officers themselves are feeling mentally unwell.”   The findings have important societal implications, calling attention to the need to increase mental health support for police officers. This support, the findings suggest, could help to lower the number of police-induced deaths that involve people with serious mental illnesses. Increased mental health support could also improve or even save the lives of officers, who experience exceedingly high rates of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and attempted suicide, as well as death by suicide.  Engaging in this research project reinforced to Weisman de Mamani and her team that working as a police officer is an incredibly stressful job, and that many officers fear they will lose their jobs if they acknowledge that they are experiencing psychological distress. Weisman de Mamani believes that “giving officers the resources they need, including time off to recover from traumatic events and the assurance of confidentiality and job security if they seek mental health assistance, could make a real difference. If officers are not in the form to do their jobs with a clear mind, the constituents they serve are going to suffer. We need to create better access to evidence-based treatments for our officers.” In the long term, Weisman de Mamani hopes to build interventions that are tailored to police culture by involving experts such as retired police officers and police chiefs. Photo by Daria Sannikova on Pexels.com Read the full article

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Authors - Marcos del Pozo Banos Senior Research Data Analyst, Swansea University - Ann John Clinical Professor of Public Health and Psychiatry, Swansea University - Tania Gergel Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Division of Psychiatry and Director of Research at Bipolar UK, UCL Disclosure statement Marcos del Pozo Banos research is funded by UKRI – Medical Research Council through the DATAMIND Hub (MRC reference: MR/W014386/1), and the Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health (established with support from the Wolfson Foundation). Ann John receives funding from Health and Care Research Wales, NIHR, Wolfson Foundation and MRC (DATAMIND). Tania Gergel works for Bipolar UK as the Director of Research. She receives research funding from National Institute of Health Research, the Medical Research Council and King's College London. She is also on the Board of the National Centre for Mental Health in Wales, and is an Honorary Visiting Professor at Cardiff University and Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the Division of Psychiatry at University College London. Heston Blumenthal, the celebrity chef known for his experimental cuisine, recently shared his experience of being sectioned under the UK’s Mental Health Act, saying it was “the best thing” that could have happened to him. His openness about living with bipolar disorder highlights the little-discussed fact that people with this condition face one of the highest suicide risks of any mental illness. Bipolar disorder is a severe mental illness characterized by episodes of mania (high energy, impulsivity) and depression (hopelessness, fatigue). Suicidal thoughts and behavior are a core feature of the disorder, with fluctuating risk that can persist over long periods. Although bipolar disorder affects around 2% of the population, studies suggest that up to 50% of people with the condition attempt suicide at least once, and 15-20% die by suicide – a rate much higher than in the general population. Unlike global suicide rates, suicide deaths in bipolar disorder have not declined. Understanding why suicide is so common in people with this disorder is difficult. But one major factor is mood instability. Rapid shifts between emotional highs and lows, as well as mixed states where symptoms of mania (impulsivity) and depression (despair) occur together, can be particularly dangerous. Social and economic factors also play a role. Research we conducted at Swansea University shows that the population suffering from bipolar disorder has become poorer over the last two decades. Financial strain, social isolation and poorer access to healthcare all lead to worse outcomes. Beyond suicide, people with the condition die up to 20 years earlier than the general population, often from preventable health problems such as heart disease. While bipolar disorder cannot be cured, it can be managed. The most commonly used drug, lithium, has been found to reduce suicide risk significantly in some patients. However, people with the condition struggle to take it regularly. The drug’s side-effects can affect the kidneys, thyroid, metabolism, cognition and cardiovascular health. Managing these side-effects requires regular blood tests and continuous monitoring, making long-term treatment difficult. Many people stop taking their medication during manic phases, believing they are cured. Other treatments, such as antipsychotics, mood stabilizers and electroconvulsive therapy (where electric currents are passed through the brain while the patient is under anesthesia), can also be effective in some types and phases of bipolar – for example, in states of mixed mania and depression where there is a high risk of suicide – but they come with their own harms and limitations. Some psychiatrists now question whether continuous lifelong treatment is necessary for all patients. Even when people seek help, healthcare systems often fail to intervene effectively. Suicide risk is highest in the days following discharge from a psychiatric hospital. Many people who later die by suicide have recently visited emergency rooms after hurting themselves, but the help they received was either delayed or not enough to prevent further harm. Existing tools to identify and measure suicide risk, such as checklists, questionnaires and structured interviews, are ineffective. Many people with bipolar disorder who die by suicide are assessed as “low risk” shortly beforehand, exposing a crucial gap between doctor and patient perceptions. This is in great part because these tools rely too heavily on past factors such as suicide attempts (which may not be disclosed), rather than dynamic, real-time distress or mood instability. Despite the significant effect that bipolar disorder has on individuals, families and society, the development of new drugs has been frustratingly slow. Lithium, first used in the 1940s, remains the go-to treatment, while most other drugs were originally designed to treat schizophrenia. No truly new treatments have emerged in decades. Not a single disorder One difficulty is that bipolar is not a single disorder but a spectrum of conditions, rendering the one-size-fits-all approach inadequate — lithium is effective in only about one in three patients. Drug development for bipolar disorder is particularly challenging. The complexity of bipolar disorder calls for equally complex trials that need to consider patient variability, ethical concerns and strict safety requirements. New treatments also face strict approval hurdles because lithium – despite its limitations – is highly effective for some patients. This results in slow treatment development, leaving patients with limited options. Lithium only works for about one in three people with bipolar disorder Research is also slowed by concerns about whether it’s ethical to involve patients in trials. But it’s important to include people with the disorder who have experienced suicidal thoughts and behavior, to better understand their mindset and decision-making. However, new approaches offer hope. Several research projects, such as Datamind, are developing artificial intelligence platforms to help find new drugs quicker and to personalize treatments based on patients’ genetic and clinical profiles. AI could lead to faster, more effective therapies tailored to individual needs. Blumenthal’s story highlights that being sectioned, while traumatic, can save lives and keep people safe. Yet the stigma around psychiatric hospitalization prevents many from seeking care. There is a widespread belief that hospitalization should be avoided at all costs – but for some, it can be the difference between life and death. However, hospitalization alone is not enough. The mental health system must do better to ensure that people with bipolar disorder receive long-term care, particularly during high-risk periods like hospital discharge. To prevent suicide, we need to rethink how risk is assessed, improve follow-up care, and reduce barriers to treatment. #James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com Link for 40 Habits Signupbit.ly/40HabitsofMentalHealth If you'd like to follow and receive my daily blog in to your inbox, just click on it with Follow It. Here's the link https://follow.it/james-donaldson-s-standing-above-the-crowd-s-blog-a-view-from-above-on-things-that-make-the-world-go-round?action=followPub While the statistics on bipolar are alarming, the message should be one of hope. The condition is treatable and suicide is preventable, but only if we commit to improving access to care, reducing stigma and advancing research. - Mental health - Bipolar disorder - Psychiatric conditions - Heston Blumenthal - Give me perspective Trustworthy journalism is needed now more than ever Here at The Conversation, we work with scholars to bring you the depth of knowledge they have of their field, which rarely makes it into daily news reporting. We provide context and background – and look ahead – beyond the headlines. We don’t give you opinions – there’s more than enough of that in the world. We don’t tell you what to think. We bring you the facts, the data, the historical context and the analysis so that you can make informed decisions about the very complex reality of life in the 21st century. We don’t publish stories filled with anonymous sources who say things you can’t verify. Every assertion of fact in our stories has a verifiable source. This is news you can trust. We’ve got swag we can give you at various levels of support. But I like to think you’d be helping us out for a much nobler reason: You are supporting democracy by supporting our work. That’s why I do what I do. It’s why I hope you’ll pitch in, too. Read the full article

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The National Strategy for the Prevention of Suicides in Malta has been launched for public consultation. This aims to handle suicides, its impact on individuals, their families and the community. Public consultation will remain open for eight weeks. The strategy proposes a number of initiatives to address suicides directly and others to promote mental health and other related matters. To TVMnews the Consultant for Public Health Dr Antonella Sammut worked on this document and shows a higher rate of suicides by males. She said those most at risk are men aged between 30 and 60 who are either separated or divorced, unemployed not pensioners. After consultation with more than 40 entities it resulted in major measures of efforts to prevent suicide should be a reduction of the stigma of mental health. She said there has to be greater recognition on mental health and there is help for persons to access in time. There are resources and specialists to help people. The Minister for Health Jo Etienne Abela said this strategy was a crucial initiative. In a year, suicides around the world number more than 700,000 people but in Malta and Gozo this incidence is very small. #James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy Link for 40 Habits Signupbit.ly/40HabitsofMentalHealth If you'd like to follow and receive my daily blog in to your inbox, just click on it with Follow It. Here's the link https://follow.it/james-donaldson-s-standing-above-the-crowd-s-blog-a-view-from-above-on-things-that-make-the-world-go-round?action=followPub However, Minister Abela’s appeal is that mental health attains a similar status of physical health and training be provided for the public to respond to suicidal tendencies and create an environment of support before it is too late. Minister Abela said that helpline 1579 remains crucial for help in mental health. He continued that although the Government is aware the suicide rate in Malta and Gozo is one of the smallest throughout the world, it is still felt that each suicide is a tragedy. The Government is committed to do everything possible to ensure this low rate remains and if possible decreases. Thus, the Government is in collusion with Local Councils for these types of services to increase for the benefit of the community. The strategy, the first of its kind, is designed to be implemented over the next five years. Read the full article

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Study highlights imbalance in targets of online suicide prevention efforts By Katrina Fu Older adults, particularly those aged 75 and older, have the highest rates of suicide of any age group, yet a new study finds that well-known national suicide prevention organizations do not provide easily accessible resources targeting this population. The study was led by researchers at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital. Their findings, published this month in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, highlight the urgent need for suicide prevention efforts that address the unique healthcare needs of older adults.  “As clinicians and researchers in geriatric psychiatry, we frequently work with older adults who express suicidal thoughts,” said senior author Ipsit Vahia, chief of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry at McLean, a member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. “Our team was interested in understanding how an older adult in the community may seek resources around suicide prevention and what they are likely to find. What we uncovered was an imbalance in who online suicide prevention efforts are targeted toward, and a great unmet need for older adults.” The work, carried out in the Technology and Aging Laboratory at McLean, was driven by the fact that older adults are increasingly using internet resources to seek health information. Investigators focused their online search on well-recognized, nonprofit organizations or federal agencies that appear on the first page of a Google search, intending to replicate the natural search process of older adults using the internet. Their findings revealed that resources targeting older adults were scarce and not easy to find, even though most of the websites they came across acknowledged the high risk of suicide among this population.  Adults aged 75 and older have one of the highest suicide rates (20.3 per 100,000) according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC estimates have revealed declines in suicide rates in several age groups under 34 years old in recent years, whereas the rate in adults over 75 has increased. This may be due to social isolation and loneliness, underrepresentation in research, and systemic implicit biases against older adults, according to Vahia. #James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy Link for 40 Habits Signupbit.ly/40HabitsofMentalHealth If you'd like to follow and receive my daily blog in to your inbox, just click on it with Follow It. Here's the link https://follow.it/james-donaldson-s-standing-above-the-crowd-s-blog-a-view-from-above-on-things-that-make-the-world-go-round?action=followPub “Public-facing suicide prevention campaigns have a record of effectiveness, and the need for such campaigns targeting older adults is greater than ever,” he said. “Our hope is that shedding a light on this imbalance may lead to major suicide prevention organizations considering ways to make their resources more easily accessible to older adults.” Regarding next steps, the team emphasized that addressing the disparities in suicide prevention efforts for older adults will require targeted campaigns and tailored prevention programming that factor in their unique healthcare needs, and can be featured on easily accessible, online platforms. They add that increased funding and research focused on late-life suicide prevention is needed.  Vahia receives current research support from the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute of Mental Health, the Once Upon a Time Foundation, and the Harvard Dean’s Initiative on Aging. The study was funded by an unrestricted gift from the Eric Warren Goldman Charitable Trust and the McLean Technology and Aging Lab. Read the full article

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Signs of trauma and tips for helping kids who've been traumatized Writer: Caroline Miller Clinical Expert: Jamie Howard, PhD What You'll Learn - What kinds of trauma tend to affect kids in the classroom? - Which skills do traumatized kids need the most help with at school? - How can teachers help kids after they’ve been hurt by trauma? - Quick Read - Full Article - Trauma and trouble forming bonds - Poor self-regulation - Negative thinking - Hypervigilance - Executive function challenges - Focus on positive attention For many kids who suffer from trauma, it’s not one event. Often, it’s ongoing abuse or neglect. This could be violence at home or in their neighborhood. For some, it’s not having a place to sleep. Trauma affects the way kids act in classrooms. Children who’ve gone through trauma are good at hiding pain. Instead, it comes through in ways that look like misbehavior or even ADHD. When kids learn not to trust adults, they struggle to connect with teachers. They don’t ask for help. They may be jumpy, always looking out for danger. Because it can seem like they’re acting out, schools are quick to punish them. Instead, these kids need teachers to show that you understand how they’re feeling. One way to help is by naming the feeling you see the child expressing. It’s okay if you’re wrong. They’ll probably correct you. Babies learn to calm themselves when grown-ups soothe them. If a child never had an adult soothe them, they can get to school age unable to cope with big feelings. They’ll need help from a teacher to calm down before they learn to do it themselves. Traumatized kids often see things in the worst light. They may think they’re bad kids. Or that people are out to get them. They may be so afraid of making mistakes that they won’t try an activity at all. They need help to see that that they’re good kids who deserve to do well. Kids with trauma can have trouble focusing and thinking things through. They may also act out for attention, even negative attention. It can help when teachers give a lot of positive attention instead. That includes giving them lots of kindness and loving care “just because,” not just when they do something right. We tend to think of trauma as the result of a frightening and upsetting event. But many children experience trauma through ongoing exposure, throughout their early development, to abuse, neglect, homelessness, domestic violence, or violence in their communities. And it’s clear that chronic trauma can cause serious problems with learning and behavior. Trauma is particularly challenging for educators to address because kids often don’t express the distress they’re feeling in a way that’s easily recognizable — and they may mask their pain with behavior that’s aggressive or off-putting. As Nancy Rappaport, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist who focuses on mental health issues in schools, puts it, “They are masters at making sure you do not see them bleed.” Identifying the symptoms of trauma in the children can help educators understand these confusing behaviors. And it can help avoid misdiagnosis, as these symptoms can mimic other problems, including ADHD and other behavior disorders. In brief, the obstacles to learning experienced by these children include: - Trouble forming relationships with teachers - Poor self-regulation - Negative thinking - Hypervigilance - Executive function challenges Trauma and trouble forming bonds Children who have been neglected or abused have problems forming relationships with teachers, a necessary first step in a successful classroom experience. They’ve learned to be wary of adults, even those who appear to be reliable, since they’ve been ignored or betrayed by those they have depended on. “These kids don’t have the context to ask for help,” notes Dr. Rappaport, a school consultant and associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “They don’t have a model for an adult recognizing their needs and giving them what they need.” Many of these children haven’t been able to develop secure attachments to the adults in their lives, adds Jamie Howard, PhD, a clinical psychologist and head of the Trauma and Resilience Service at the Child Mind Institute. They need help to let other adults into their lives. “Kids who’ve never developed that early template that you can trust people, that you are lovable and that people will take care of you,” Dr. Howard explains, “need support to form that kind of relationship.” One of the challenges in giving that support is that when kids misbehave, our schools often use disciplinary systems that involve withdrawing attention and support, rather than addressing their problems. Schools have very little patience for kids who provoke and push away adults who try to help them. Instead of suspending children, Dr. Rappaport argues, schools need to work with them on changing their behavior. When a student is acting up in class, she explains, teachers need to recognize the powerful feelings they are expressing, if inappropriately. Rather than jumping right into the behavior plan — deducting points or withdrawing privileges or suspending — Dr. Rappaport stresses the importance of acknowledging the emotion and trying to identify it. “I can see that you are REALLY angry that Andrew took the marker you wanted!” she suggests. “If you’re wrong about what the student is upset about, he’s likely to correct you.” Acknowledging and naming an emotion helps children move towards expressing it in a more appropriate way. Communicating that you “get” them is the necessary first step, she explains, to helping kids learn to express themselves in ways that don’t alienate and drive away people who can help them. Poor self-regulation Traumatized children often have trouble managing strong emotions. As babies and toddlers, children learn to calm and soothe themselves by being calmed and soothed by the adults in their lives, Dr. Howard notes. If they haven’t had that experience, because of neglect, “that lack of a soothing, secure attachment system contributes to their chronic dysregulation.” In the classroom, teachers need to support and coach these children in ways to calm themselves and manage their emotions. “We need to be partners in managing their behavior,” Dr. Rappaport explains. “Co-regulation comes before self-regulation. We need to help them get the control they need to change the channel when they’re upset.”  They need coaching and practice at de-escalating when they feel overwhelmed, she adds. Negative thinking Another challenge to traumatized kids is that they develop the belief that they’re bad, and what’s happened to them is their fault. This leads to the expectation that people are not going to like them or treat them well. As Dr. Howard puts it, “I’m a bad kid. Why would I do well in school? Bad kids don’t do well in school.” Traumatized kids also tend to develop what Dr. Howard calls a “hostile attribution bias” — the idea that everyone is out to get them. “So if a teacher says, ‘Sit down in your seat,” they hear it as, ‘SIT DOWN IN YOUR SEAT!’” she explains. “They hear it as exaggerated and angry and unfair. So they’ll act out really quickly with irritability.” As Dr. Rappaport puts it: “They see negative where we see neutral.” To counter this negative thinking, these students a narrative about themselves that helps them understand that they’re not “bad kids.” And learning to recognize their negative patterns of thought, like black and white thinking, is a step towards being able to change those patterns. Dr. Rappaport notes that children from abusive homes are sometimes unable to participate in classroom activities because they are paralyzed by fear of making a mistake, and that can make them appear to be oppositional. “A mistake that might seem trivial to us becomes magnified,” she explains, “if their experience has been that minor mistakes incurred adult anger or punishment.” They need not only support to have incremental successes they can build on in the classroom, but help to see that in this setting, making a mistake is considered a necessary part of learning. Hypervigilance One of the classic symptoms of trauma is hyper-vigilance, which means being overly alert to danger. “It’s physiological hyper-arousal,” explains Dr. Howard. “These kids are jumpy, they have an exaggerated startle response. They can have some big, out-of-control seeming behaviors, because their fight or flight response has gone off.” This can look like hyperactivity, she adds, leading kids who have been traumatized to be misdiagnosed with ADHD. Being chronically agitated can lead to difficulty with sleeping and chronic irritability. In workshops, Dr. Rappaport coaches teachers on how to help kids to settle down when something in the classroom triggers an emotional outburst. When a child is escalating, the key, she says, is to “match their affect, but in a controlled way.” The goal is to connect to their big feeling. “If you can connect with what they’re trying to tell you, they may settle. It can work even if you just make a guess — you don’t have to be right, they can correct you.” Executive function challenges Chronic trauma affects children’s memory, their ability to pay attention, plan, think things through, and other executive functions. Kids who have ADHD as well as trauma may be especially impaired in these skills. Difficulty planning impacts not only completing tasks in school, but a child’s ability to plan his behavior, rather than acting impulsively, and deciding on the best way to communicate his needs and feelings. One of the things that tends to upset kids who’ve been traumatized is difficulty predicting the future — not knowing what is coming is unsettling for children and creates anxiety. These kids can benefit, Dr. Rappaport notes, from repeated dry runs of what’s coming up and what they should expect. Another executive function that may be weak is the ability to self-narrate — to mentally talk themselves through what they need to do as they are carrying out a task. It’s a skill young children learn from listening to their parents talk to them when they are babies, and, she notes, if they haven’t had the experience they may need help developing the skill. Focus on positive attention In addition to connecting with kids who’ve been traumatized, and helping them build missing skills, Dr. Rappaport emphasizes the importance of giving them as much positive attention as possible. Kids who have experienced chronic neglect tend to be better at getting attention by provoking the adults they depend on than by complying with expectations. “Negative attention is fast, predictable and efficient,” she notes. “We need to make positive attention as fast, predictable and efficient.” But she adds that positive attention includes not only praising them for desired behavior but expressing warmth and kindness that aren’t necessarily earned. Surprising kids with “random acts of kindness” can help wean them from habits of acting out to get attention. “When a kid is acting out and sucking the oxygen out of a classroom,” she notes, “some teachers have found it works to set their phones to buzz every 5 minutes to give the kid positive attention.” Dr. Rappaport offers tools for understanding and managing disruptive behavior in the classroom in her book, The Behavior Code: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Teaching the Most Challenging Students, written with behavioral analyst Jessica Minahan. #James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy Link for 40 Habits Signupbit.ly/40HabitsofMentalHealth If you'd like to follow and receive my daily blog in to your inbox, just click on it with Follow It. Here's the link https://follow.it/james-donaldson-s-standing-above-the-crowd-s-blog-a-view-from-above-on-things-that-make-the-world-go-round?action=followPub Frequently Asked Questions How does trauma affect behavior in kids? Trauma can affect behavior in kids by causing hypervigilance, trouble managing emotions and forming relationships with other people, and difficulty with executive functioning. Read the full article

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Data from the first year of VA-wide Comprehensive Suicide Risk Evaluations for veterans show firearm access, suicidal thinking and suicide planning were major predictors of suicide death Photo by Craig Adderley on Pexels.com  by Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan contact patient services Newswise — In the ongoing effort to reduce the number of veterans who die by suicide, a new study identifies key factors that predict whether veterans who received a Comprehensive Suicide Risk Evaluation, the standardized suicide risk assessment implemented nationally in the Veterans Health Administration, will go on to die by their own hands. The findings could help Veterans Affairs clinicians and others work to prevent more suicide deaths among veterans in this high-risk category. The study focused on veterans who received a CSRE assessment from a VA clinician. The CSRE program launched nationally six years ago, and the new study looks at suicide deaths among veterans who received an assessment during its first year. Even after going through the CSRE process, the new study finds that veterans who were actively experiencing suicidal thoughts, had made suicide plans, had access to firearms, or had a history of mental health inpatient stays were most likely to die by suicide, compared with others who had been through a CSRE but didn’t have these risk factors. The study looked at suicide deaths both in the first 30 days and the first year after a CSRE. In all, there were 791 suicides following the 269,374 CSREs that were completed for 153,736 Veterans Health Administration patients between November 2019 and December 2020, the study finds. Of those, 144 suicides occurred within 30 days after a CSRE; the rest were within a year of the CSRE visit. While most of those who died by suicide after a CSRE had been classed as having an especially high risk of near-term or long-term suicide based on their answers on the CSRE scale, there were also suicide deaths among those who fell into the lower-risk category on their CSRE. The study, published in JAMA Network Open by a team from the University of Michigan Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry, the VA Center for Clinical Management Research, and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, was led by Kevin Saulnier, Ph.D., a psychologist who has performed CSREs as part of his practice at VA Ann Arbor’s mental health clinic. “Suicide prediction has long been a challenge for the field, so this finding that some of the risk factors that are routinely assessed in the Veterans Health Administration predicted future risk of suicide is important,” says Saulnier. “While this study did not look at what treatments and supports patients received after their CSRE, it can immediately inform clinicians as they use their judgement to work with patients.” Saulnier and colleagues also recently published another paper in JAMA Network Open showing that suicide mortality was lower among veterans newly diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder who received the evidence-based treatment know as cognitive processing therapy or prolonged exposure (CPT/PE). More about CSREs CSRE sessions, which can take about a half hour, are designed to evaluate a veteran’s current risk factors and protective factors for suicide using a standardized checklist. Part of the appointment can be the development of a safety plan that maps out who the veteran can turn to when they feel suicidal, including the Veterans Crisis Line that can be reached by phone at 988, by text at 838255 and by online chat at https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/. Depending on the clinician’s judgment and the patient’s preferences, a CSRE can also lead to referrals to specific mental health care, the provision of free gun locks for any firearms the veteran possesses, and other steps. In some states, including Michigan, “red flag” laws allow clinicians, family members and law enforcement to seek a court order to remove firearms from the home of a person they believe to be a danger to themselves or others. The U-M Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention offers a free toolkit to help individuals understand this option, called an Extreme Risk Protection Order. Using research to improve care The new study could help clinicians prioritize firearm-related steps for CSRE patients, as well as escalating patients with current suicide-related thoughts or plans to higher levels of care including inpatient psychiatric care if needed. Saulnier notes that predictive models for suicide have already become part of VA care management decisions, and that the new findings could help refine those models. He and colleagues are also planning to study what treatments veterans received after having a CSRE, and also non-fatal suicide attempts. The study only includes veterans receiving care from the VA, where brief screening for suicide risk is universal. CSREs have become standard care for those whose initial screen shows that they have been having suicidal thoughts or thinking about how they might attempt suicide. Veterans cared for in non-VA settings may not get screened for suicide risk unless they’re seeking care for a behavioral health issue, though more hospitals and health systems are now implementing universal screening and follow-up evaluations for those who screen positive. More about the study In addition to the factors that predicted suicide deaths by 30 or 365 days after a CSRE, Saulnier and colleagues also found some factors were actually linked to a protective effect, or reduced risk. More research on this is needed, he said – including research on those who completed CSREs and were considered very high risk for immediate or later suicide but did not die by suicide during the follow-up period. The team also found that some factors that have been seen in other research as protective against suicide risk were not associated with lower risk of suicide death, such as connection to others or a sense of hope. This may be due to the very high risk of suicide that veterans who receive CSREs already face. In an accompanying commentary, Rebecca Rossom, M.D., M.S. of the HealthPartners Institute wrote, “As the largest integrated health system in the US, true universal suicide risk screening followed by safety planning in the Veterans Health Administration could provide powerful evidence regarding the effectiveness of these approaches to suicide prevention. These findings are critical as the US continues to grapple with the public health epidemic of suicide.” More information about veteran suicide risk, prevention, options for reducing access to lethal means such as firearms, and crisis support is available at https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/suicide_prevention/index.asp #James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy Link for 40 Habits Signupbit.ly/40HabitsofMentalHealth If you'd like to follow and receive my daily blog in to your inbox, just click on it with Follow It. Here's the link https://follow.it/james-donaldson-s-standing-above-the-crowd-s-blog-a-view-from-above-on-things-that-make-the-world-go-round?action=followPub If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, or having a mental health or addiction-related crisis, the 988 Lifeline is available for free to anyone, at all times, in both English and Spanish. Call 988 from any phone, text 988 from a mobile device, or visit https://988lifeline.org/ for live webchat, information on available help, and live help via videophone for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing.  Or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. In addition to Saulnier the study’s authors are Courtney L. Bagge, Ph.D.; Dara Ganoczy, M.P.H.; Nazanin H. Bahraini, Ph.D.; Jennifer Jagusch, M.S.W.; Avinash Hosanagar, M.D.; Mark A. Ilgen, Ph.D.; and Paul N. Pfeiffer, M.D. Saulnier, Bagge, Pfeiffer and Ilgen are members of the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation and the VA CCMR. Ilgen is also a member of the U-M Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. This research is supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Academic Affiliations Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness Research and Treatment, the Ann Arbor VA Healthcare System, and the Serious Mental Illness Treatment Resource and Evaluation Center (SMITREC). Photo by Craig Adderley on Pexels.com Read the full article